Linden Method

Has anyone here tried the linden method for anxiety / panic? Does it work? Did it help you or did it have no benefit? I don't think these things hurt but I don't want to waste my money on something that will probably have no effect on my anxiety. I have tried so many things over the years, both conventional medicine and alternative. Benzos were the only meds that use to help me but after 20 years of taking them and 3 horrible withdrawals, these meds are no longer effective as I have grown tolerant to them. I have never found any of the SSRI's to be effective for my GAD.

Honestly? I think they're a scam. Thats just my opinion. Panic originates in you and thats where it must be dealt with. Their site doesnt even get to what is supposed to happen until several pages of non-useful information down.

Simply put it looks like they're selling a placebo, which they hype up and down to convince you it works. That is what such a system would do; trick you into thinking it works until it does. Thats a lot of money for some CDs after all...

Look I really cant say, for certain, its a scam. But that site sets off all the scam warnings: Big flashy "Price Most Important" thing as you first look at the site...A very very VERY long page with confusing blasts of information stacked up wiht pictures of people youve never heard of.

Not to mention, one of the top sites < edited > which claims to objectively review it claims that no, its not a scam. All the sites are either listings for UK and Australia folks in various list sites, and a couple pages that are 'under construction."

I cant of course say for sure its a scam. But if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck...Theres a good chance its Quackery. And this one does indeed look like a scam. You'll be paying for a placebo. The strength to end your panic attacks is in YOU. Not some CDs. Maybe an actual, real life doctor too. But not from this quack.

Thanks for responding Krion. I agree with what you said but wanted some opinions from others. I have had anxiety for over 20 years and I have tried a myriad of things over the years in addition to Rx drugs. I did find some degree relief from Rx drugs but that relief came with a terrible price tag unfortunately. I grew tolerant to the benzodiazepines and have gone through 3 nasty withdrawals. Even all the years spent on the drugs, there were often many months and years that I just had to struggle with the panic and anxiety and now depression has crept in sadly.

I know most of these things you see on the web are scams. They will often take advantage of vulnerable ppl who are in a lot of pain and desperate for relief. They give you false hope and then take your money. I have wasted so much of my money on herbs and other alternative medicine things that make big promises but deliver very little, if any, positive results. I have purchased a Tens unit, EMS machines, and those mind machines that are suppose to help you relax to no avail. Those things were just a waste of money now looking back. Anyway, thank you for responding. I will just stick to my current meds and try to improve my meditation skills and hope for the best. I am also working on my sleep hygiene. Have a terrific day and thanks again for the feedback!

I agree that a lot of the stuff on the internet is just a scam. I actually paid for 9 months of cognitive behavioral therapy and it worked wonders for me. Panic disorder is all about a fear of your own fear response so with practice you can teach your brain not to be scared of this fear response (a LOT of practice). Here's a good first step:

You will need to do something that will probably seem really scary. But hopefully from what you know about the basis of a panic attack (just being a normal physiological response that is at an inappropriate time), there is absolutely no risk to doing this. You need to ride out the panic attack. You need to let the adrenaline wash over you and teach your amygdala that the fight-or-flight response is not dangerous. In order to prepare for this you need to practice a few techniques. One of these is the ability to separate yourself from your thoughts (it sounds really weird, okay, but just trust me on this one). So just take 10 minutes per day and sit down in a quiet area and just notice what you are thinking. Without any judgement about the thought. Just be aware of what you are thinking. So just say to yourself: "Okay I am now having the thought that I should be doing dishes. Now I am having the thought that this is really boring. Now I am having the thought that this exercise is incredibly stupid....etc" (and yes, until I realized the power of this exercise, a lot of my thoughts tended to be about how I thought this whole listening-to-your-thoughts thing was stupid - and that is perfectly fine but remember there is no judgement. Just notice the thought, period). One of the other benefits of this exercise is that, at least for me, I ended up feeling noticeably calmer after this 10 minute break. Anyway this ability to separate yourself from your thoughts is really important because during a panic attack your mind will be flooded with thoughts of "I'm going to die" "I'm having a heart attack" "I can't breathe" "I hate this" "I need to go to the ER" etc etc. and you need to be able to recognize that these thoughts are actually symptoms of the panic attack just like heart palpitations and dizziness are symptoms. These thoughts are linked to your fight-or-flight response and will keep coming up with each panic attack but that doesn't mean they are correct and that you need to listen to them or believe them. So if you can separate yourself from these thoughts, and just notice "okay, I'm having the thought that I can't breathe" it is actually super powerful. Instead of thinking "I can't breathe!!!!!!!!" it is "I am having the thought that I can't breathe". This reminds you that you are only having a thought that you can't breathe, not that you actually can't breathe. And this shift in thinking is really critical for you to retrain your amygdala.

Now in the moment of a panic attack this takes a LOT of practice. The fight-or-flight response is such a powerful response that it is very difficult to do the above exercise in the heat of the moment (especially if you are not at home) but if you keep practicing it becomes so natural that you can do this shift in thinking in any context. But since it is so difficult, I want you to just have one goal in mind for the first few panic attacks that you ride out: breathe. Sit down and just focus on breathing in and out very slowly (some of us at this moment will sort of forget to exhale because your brain is telling you that you don't have enough oxygen so remember to spend an equal amount of time inhaling and exhaling). If you can start to recognize your thoughts as thoughts, that is awesome. If not, just breathe. Breathe and know that it will be over in about 10 minutes (and if you really are just breathing through it, it will be much shorter). And importantly, NEVER feel bad about yourself if you fail. If you forget everything you are supposed to practice in the heat of the moment. This stuff is SO HARD. You might be panicking for 20 minutes before you remember to focus on your breathing. That is fine. Do not get mad at yourself, do not judge yourself. Recognize how hard it is to do this and celebrate every single baby step you make during this process. I cannot emphasize this enough. If you are constantly berating yourself every time you forget these exercises during a panic attack it will slow your progress. Celebrate any possible positive change from the last time you had an attack. And also recognize that there are good and bad days. This is completely normal, and in no way does this mean that you are taking steps backwards (even though it might feel like it, try to be positive!!).

The Following User Says Thank You to NC~Grl For This Useful Post:
Hopefulhoney (10-14-2011)